1. [Technical Field]
This invention relates to a connector which is fitted relative to a mating connector by operating a lever, and the invention also relates to a connector structure including this connector.
2. [Related Art]
Recently, in view of a multi-pole design of connectors and so on, there have been provided various connectors of the type in which a lever is pivotally mounted on a body housing so as to reduce an operating force required for an fitting operation, and the body housing can be fitted relative to a mating connector with the low operating force, utilizing leverage of this lever.
For example, the Japanese Patent No. 2914593 discloses one conventional structure for mounting such a lever on a body housing, in which support pins of a round cross-section are formed on and project from opposite (right and left) side surfaces of the body housing, respectively, and round pivot holes for respectively fitting on the support pins are formed in opposite (right and left) ends of the U-shaped lever, and the support pins are fitted respectively in the pivot holes in the lever, so that the lever is supported for pivotal movement about the support pins.
In this structure, however, when mounting the lever, it is necessary to fit the pivot holes respectively on the support pins from the outside while spreading the lever in a manner to elastically deform the opposite (right and left) end portions of the lever outwardly away from each other, and the assembling operation is not easy. In contrast, after the mounting of the lever, there is a fear that the lever can be easily disengaged from the body housing when the opposite (right and left) end portions of the lever are forced away from each other by some force.
Therefore, in order that the lever can be easily mounted on the body housing, the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-40250 discloses the type of connector in which elongate support pins are formed on and project from a body housing while introduction grooves and holes, extending respectively from inner ends of these grooves, are formed in a lever, and each of the support pins can intrude into the corresponding introduction groove only in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the whole of the support pin can be rotatably fitted in the corresponding hole. In this connector, the lever can be easily mounted on the body housing by fitting the support pins respectively into the holes through the respective introduction grooves. And besides, after the mounting of the lever, the range of pivotal operation of the lever is set to an angle range in which the longitudinal direction of each support pin does not coincides with the direction of extending of the introduction groove, and with this arrangement the support pin is positively prevented from being disengaged from the introduction groove (that is, the lever is prevented from being disengaged from the body housing).
[Problems to be Solved]
In the above structure of the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-40250, the lever can be easily mounted on the body housing. On the other hand, each support pin is elongate, and this support pin is only partially in contact with the inner surface of the round hole in the peripheral direction, and therefore there is encountered a disadvantage that the supported condition of the lever is less stable as compared with the above structure of the Japanese Patent No. 2914593 in which the round support pins are fitted in the round pivot holes, respectively. Namely, the lever is liable to rattle during the pivotal movement thereof, and this leads to a possibility that the smooth operation of the lever is prevented.
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a structure in which connectors are fitted together by operating a lever, and the lever can be easily mounted on a body housing, and after the mounting of the lever, the lever can be operated in a stable manner.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above problems have been solved by a connector of the invention comprising a body housing for fitting on a housing of a mating connector, and a lever which is mounted on the body housing so as to be pivotally operated, and includes an engagement portion for engagement with the mating connector, wherein the engagement portion is so constructed that when the lever is pivotally operated, with the engagement portion engaged with the mating connector, the housing of the mating connector and the body housing can be fitted together with a fitting force larger than a force of pivotal movement of the lever; CHARACTERIZED in that a pivotal movement support portion, having a cross-sectional shape other than a round shape, is formed on one of the body housing and the lever while an intrusion groove, into which the pivotal movement support portion can intrude only when the angle of the lever relative to the body housing is a predetermined angle, and a fitting hole, in which the whole of the pivotal movement support portion can be rotatably fitted, are formed in the other of the body housing and the lever, the fitting hole being provided at an inner end of the intrusion groove; and the lever is pivotally supported on the body housing, with the pivotal movement support portion fitted in the fitting hole; and the range of pivotal operation of the lever is so determined that the pivotal movement support portion can not move back from the fitting hole into the intrusion groove in the range of pivotal movement of the lever; and a guide portion for guiding the lever in the pivotally-moving direction thereof is provided at the body housing.
In this construction, the pivotal movement support portion, provided at one of the body housing and the lever, is caused to intrude into the intrusion groove, formed in the other, with the lever held at the predetermined angle relative to the body housing, and is introduced into the fitting hole formed at the inner end of this intrusion groove. Thereafter, the lever is suitably rotated about the pivotal movement support portion, so that the lever can be easily mounted on the body housing.
The pivotal movement support portion has a cross-sectional shape other than a round shape, and the pivotal movement support portion contacts part of the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole in the circumferential direction. However, the lever is guided in the pivotally-moving direction thereof by the guide portion provided at the body housing, and therefore the stable pivotal movement of the lever is achieved.
Preferably, the guide portion has an arcuate guide surface lying on a circle having the center thereof disposed on an axis of pivotal movement of the lever, and a guided portion for sliding movement on the guide surface is provided at the lever. With this construction, the lever is positively guided in the pivotally-moving direction thereof by the sliding movement of the guided portion on the guide surface.
Preferably, the guided portion has an arcuate guided surface conforming to the guide surface. With this construction, the area of contact between the guide surface and the guided portion is increased, so that the pivotal movement of the lever can be made more stable.
Preferably, an insertion portion, into which the guided portion can be inserted in a direction parallel to a direction of intrusion of the pivotal movement support portion into the intrusion groove, is provided at the body housing, and at least part of an inner surface of the insertion portion forms the guide surface.
With this construction, the guided portion of the lever is held in the insertion portion, and therefore the mounted condition of the lever is more stable, and the guided portion and the guide surface are disposed within the insertion portion, and therefore are protected from the exterior of the connector. And besides, in this construction, merely by inserting the guided portion of the lever into the insertion portion in the predetermined direction, the lever can be mounted on the body housing.
The portion, at which the insertion portion is provided, is not limited. However, in the case where the body housing includes a terminal holding portion, holding connector terminals, and a hood portion surrounding the terminal holding portion, the insertion portion is preferably formed between the terminal holding portion and the hood portion. With this construction, the body housing does not need to be increased in size, and a space between the terminal holding portion and the hood portion can be utilized efficiently.
In the invention, the lever has an arcuate guided surface lying on a circle having the center thereof disposed on an axis of pivotal movement of the lever, and the guide portion is provided at such a position that the guide portion is disposed in sliding contact with the guided surface during the pivotal movement of the lever. With this construction, also, the lever can be guided in the pivotally-moving direction thereof.
The shape of the pivotal movement support portion and the shapes of the intrusion groove and fitting hole are not particularly limited. However, preferably, the pivotal movement support portion has an elongate shape, and a width of the intrusion groove is larger than a transverse direction of the pivotal movement support portion, and is smaller than a longitudinal dimension of the pivotal movement support portion, and the fitting hole has a diameter substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension, and in the range of pivotal operation of the lever, the direction of the longitudinal dimension does not coincide with a direction of extending of the intrusion groove.
Preferably, the lever includes, for example, an operating portion, operated for pivotal movement, and a pair of right and left mounting portions which extend continuously from this operating portion, and are pivotally mounted on the body housing. The pivotal movement support portion is formed on one of the mounting portion and the body housing while the intrusion groove and the fitting hole are formed in the other.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector structure comprising a connector as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, and a mating connector which includes a housing for fitting in a body housing of the connector, and an engagement portion for engagement with an engagement portion of the lever, and the engagement portions are so constructed that when the lever is pivotally operated, with the two engagement portions engaged with each others, the housing of the mating connector and the body housing can be fitted together with a fitting force larger than a force of pivotal movement of the lever.